Effective and Safer Pain Management

Chronic pain affects the lives of over eight million Canadians. While opiates were once considered a humane choice for pain relief, their addictive potential has contributed to the opiate crisis, leading to a decline in their use as a solution. In my naturopathic medical practice, I often encounter patients suffering from chronic pain who are seeking alternatives that won’t harm their bodies or lead to addiction. Treating the Root Cause of Pain: The primary goal of pain management is to address the underlying cause. At our clinic, we offer laser therapy, a non-invasive treatment that accelerates the healing process for arthritis, injuries, back pain, and more. Additionally, there are many treatments and home programs that can provide relief. However, supplemental pain management is crucial during the healing process and for individuals who don’t respond sufficiently to other therapies. In this article, we will explore safer options for treating pain. Exploring Safer Alternatives:
  1. PEA (Palmitoylethanolamide): PEA is a natural medicine that shows promising results in pain management. It possesses pain-blocking effects and reduces neural inflammation, which is a common feature of many chronic pain conditions. From post-concussion syndrome and long-COVID to chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, sciatic nerve pain, and peripheral neuropathy, PEA has demonstrated effectiveness. Importantly, this naturally occurring fat extract rarely causes side effects. A review published in the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology concluded that PEA reduces pain and is considered very safe. In my experience, I have successfully used PEA to help patients dealing with complex chronic pain issues.
  2. Low Dose Naltrexone (LDN): As a naturopathic physician, I find LDN particularly intriguing because it helps balance the immune system and promote nervous system healing. Moreover, it is a relatively safe and cost-effective pharmaceutical medication. LDN has shown promising results in pain conditions such as fibromyalgia, low back pain, and rheumatoid arthritis. I customize the prescription according to each patient’s needs, and many individuals consider it a significant part of their wellness plan.
  3. CBD (Cannabidiol): CBD, the non-psychoactive component of cannabis, is extensively used for pain management in Canada. However, the lack of human clinical trials has hindered our understanding of its efficacy and appropriate dosages. With the recent legalization of cannabis, more studies are underway. The Canadian Arthritis Society is actively funding research in this area but has not yet endorsed CBD as a treatment. Nevertheless, one study revealed that CBD use allowed patients attending a chronic pain clinic to reduce their opioid medication intake.
  4. Natural Anti-inflammatory Agents: Use of natural anti-inflammatory agents can reduce the need for more toxic over-the-counter drugs. Curcumin, an extract of turmeric, has been proven to be more effective than ibuprofen in a five-month study on human osteoarthritis knee pain, with fewer side effects. It lowers inflammatory chemicals in the body, benefiting various disease processes. Additionally, fish oil high in EPA content possesses anti-inflammatory properties, and Boswellia, another herb, has shown anti-inflammatory effects as well. Your naturopathic physician is trained as an herbalist and can tailor herbal formulas to suit your needs and ensure they align with any existing prescriptions. They can also assist you in creating a lifestyle plan that reduces inflammation and promotes healing.
    5. Helping people live fuller lives with less pain is incredibly rewarding. Effective pain management strategies can be implemented using solutions that offer side benefits instead of side effects.

Dementia Prevention

According to the Alzheimer’s Society of Canada, in 2020, 124,000 Canadians were diagnosed with dementia.  By 2030, it is projected that upwards of one million Canadians will be living with Dementia.  These are staggering numbers.

There are many causes and multiple types of dementia, including vascular dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.  While there is no cure, there are factors that can be addressed to reduce one’s risk.  As a naturopathic doctor, my aim is to help you identify risk factors and develop a plan with you to address them.  A comprehensive bloodwork panel can test for a number of risk factors, including blood sugar, inflammatory markers, homocysteine, and more.  Genetic tests can also be ordered as a part of Alzheimer’s disease risk.

Reducing risk factors is an important step, including making dietary changes to support blood sugar and heart health.  One particular way of eating called the Mediterranean diet, reduces inflammation, is rich in antioxidants, and is known to improve both diabetes and cardiovascular disease risk.  All of these are aspects to address with dementia. 

A Mediterranean diet includes fish as a major component, many of which are rich in omega-3 fatty acids.  One consideration when eating fish is to avoid those that are higher in mercury.  This is because mercury has toxic effects on the body, especially on the brain.  Lower mercury fish include shrimp, salmon, pollock, and canned light tuna. 

Lifestyle choices can also be impactful for dementia, including eliminating smoking, reducing excessive alcohol consumption, and exercising.  Exercise can improve memory, brain function, and increase blood flow to the brain.  Not to mention, exercise can improve blood sugar and heart health (those risk factors I talked about above).  There are different ways to exercise and various types to enjoy, but enjoyment is the key factor.  Like anything, the chance of you continuing to exercise is highly dependent on whether you enjoy the activity.  So, the first step with exercising is picking something you enjoy doing.

One of the key aspects that I address with patients looking to prevent dementia is to reduce chronic inflammation.  This is because inflammation that affects the brain is a contributor to the progression of dementia and Alzheimer’s.  When thinking about a foundation for optimal brain health, we turn back to what we eat.  A diet that is rich in plant foods (fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds) tends to include more antioxidants, which reduces inflammation in the body. 

On top of diet, there are herbal medicines and supplements that are anti-inflammatory.  Two examples include curcumin and fish oil, both of which help to reduce inflammation.  There are various types and qualities of curcumin and fish oil on the market, so ensure you pick the right one for you.  If in doubt, your naturopathic doctor can clarify.

Dr. Shawn Peters, ND is a naturopathic doctor practicing in downtown Courtenay.

Book a Complimentary 15-minute, no-obligation appointment with Dr. Shawn to see if Naturopathic Medicine is right for you!

Early Cancer Testing You Should Know About

Part of being a health-conscious person is being aware of the early signs of cancer and taking advantage of cancer screening. Cancers caught early are often treatable. An estimated two in five Canadians will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime and about one in four will die from cancer, making it the leading cause of death in Canada. Having a relationship with a doctor who can provide regular checkups, blood work, and cancer screening simply saves lives. But because fewer people in the Comox Valley have a family doctor, these non-urgent conversations happen less often. People without a family doctor often only use the walk-in clinics for urgent concerns and miss out on regular screening. And what woman wants to go to a stranger at a walk-in clinic for intimate exams? As a naturopathic physician, more of my patients are accessing my services for basic medical screening tests and exams and I’m glad they have options. Here I’ll remind you of the key symptoms you should watch for and tests you should do regularly to screen for cancer. 

Paying attention to changes in your body and not ignoring them is important. It’s better to have a symptom checked out and found to be normal than ignore it and have it progress into overt issues. Symptoms that warrant investigation include unexplained: fatigue or weight loss, persistent lymph node enlargement, persistent hoarseness or coughing, bladder changes, any vaginal bleeding after menopause, easy bleeding or bruising, difficulty swallowing, unusual lumps, digestive issues, night sweats, neurological symptoms, changes to moles, white areas in the mouth and more.

Regular testing offers the chance to pick up cancer before it becomes serious. For women, PAP smears test the cervix for abnormal cells that can be or become cervical cancer. Current guidelines are for women aged 25-69 to do a PAP smear every three years. MDs or NDs can offer this service. Only about 75% of eligible Canadian women are up to date on this important test. 

Mammograms save lives. Women can just call the Comox Valley North Island Hospital. They can use an MD or an ND as the doctor who receives the results. Since one in five cases of breast cancer is found in women under 50, I agree that women in their 40s should be screened every two years.

The FIT test is a simple stool test that picks up invisible blood in the stool, which can be a sign of colon cancer. About one in 17 Canadians will get colon cancer, so it makes sense to regularly screen for it. Your MD or ND can provide the requisition for this test.

Prostate cancer screening is controversial because the harms associated with testing for and treating prostate cancer can outweigh the benefits. That said, research shows that screening blood tests do save lives, especially for high-risk populations.

I regularly provide skin cancer checks as part of a yearly physical exam, especially a patient has light-coloured skin, eyes and hair, has many moles or freckles, or report having had several blistering sunburns as a child. MDs can refer patients to dermatologists or skin specialists for diligent tracking or treatment of suspicious spots. 

I also recommend an annual full basic blood work-up, physical exam and discussion of any health issues that may be cropping up. It’s not possible to do good cancer screening when patients can only bring up one symptom, since it is often the constellation of symptoms that provides the clues needed to suspect cancer. Plus we want to be discussing healthy lifestyle practices to increase the chances of living long and well.

Dr. Deidre Macdonald is a naturopathic physician who has practiced in downtown Courtenay since 1997. 250 897-0235 or www.getwellhere.com

Chronic Pain: Four Legs of a Stool

Every day in my naturopathic medical practice, I see people who have chronic pain from conditions arising from their back, nerves, muscles, joints, digestive system, autoimmune disease and more.  In fact one in five Canadians over 18 suffer with chronic pain. Optimal treatment plans are more complex than those for acute pain. For chronic pain, the best treatment involves “four legs of a stool”.  Each leg provides important support in the journey of living with chronic pain while working towards real solutions.

One leg of that stool may be pain management with pharmaceutical drugs.  Living with chronic pain can affect mood, sleep, the immune system, the nervous system and more and sometimes the humane choice is to help dull the pain. But medications for pain all come at some cost when used long term.  Extended use of anti-inflammatory drugs is hard on the gastrointestinal system, kidneys and ears.  Tylenol in excess can damage the liver. Opiate pain killers are of course a last resort due to their highly addictive nature. Meds for nerve pain have a long list of side effects and have limited benefits.  There is a place for pain management, but the goal is to use as little as possible for the shortest time possible. Cannabis may provide some relief for pain sufferers, and I look forward to the day when we have the research and quality control necessary for doctors to effectively guide patients in the best use of this medicine.

The second leg of the stool is what I call passive treatments.  There is a place for surgery, however there is always the risk of complications so often more conservative treatments are preferential.  Physiotherapy, massage, chiropractic, osteopathy, injection therapy such as prolotherapy, PRP, and stem cells can all be helpful.  The form of physical therapy that has impressed me most is low level laser therapy.  This painless, safe treatment uses therapeutic wavelengths of light to stimulate rapid growth and repair of tissues, resulting in resolution of pain.  Hundreds of  human, placebo controlled clinical trials have been done on laser therapy and it has been shown to be effective in the treatment of many conditions including arthritis (to which I can personally attest), back pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, plantar fasciitis, neck pain, nerve impingement and more. This is the treatment that I have used in my clinic for 12 years on over 1,000 patients with mostly good to excellent results.

The third leg of the stool is to work towards creating a body that is balanced and vital so that it can heal itself.  When a person is full of inflammation, high blood sugar, nutrient deprived, lacks exercise, and suffers from stress and poor sleep, their cells simply don’t have what it takes to heal.  As a naturopathic physician, I coach my patients to better understand what they can do for themselves to reduce inflammation, promote healing and improve vitality.

The fourth leg of the stool in treating chronic pain is addressing the mind-body connection.  The body naturally sends alarm bells to the brain and nervous system in response to pain.  That makes sense for acute pain, as it helps us to remove ourselves from dangerous situations or protect injured areas.  To live well with chronic pain, we have to deliberately learn how to be with the pain without sending out panic signals.  Teaching my patients skills to address the emotions and thoughts around the pain helps them to experience the painful sensations without all the distress and suffering.  I also encourage them to be curious about any unhealed emotional issues that may be causing tension or energy blocks in the body.  In Chinese medicine, they say that emotional issues can block chi, and wherever chi is blocked pain or disease can occur. In Western medicine we understand that the body’s natural healing mechanisms are activated when the nervous system is in a more relaxed state. With chronic stress we can get stuck in a state of “fight or flight” instead of being able to go into the more relaxed, healing state of a calm nervous system. 

People with chronic pain do well to consider engaging in a comprehensive plan to reduce the stress of chronic pain while working actively to promote healing and resolution of the causes of their pain.  ss

Bioidentical Hormones – Research Update

The pros and cons of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) for perimenopausal and menopausal women have been hotly debated for many years. As a naturopathic physician, I’ve helped women navigate the choppy waters of menopause for over two decades. I believe that hormone management should be very individualized and I  generally recommend lifestyle first, natural medicines second, and pharmaceuticals third, if possible. I recently completed a course that analyzed the research on HRT over the last 20 years. When you look carefully at the research, there is a role for hormone replacement therapy to help manage symptoms of perimenopause and menopause safely and effectively and to serve as a preventative medicine. 

First, some history. HRT was used for 70 years before the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) did the first large placebo-controlled study in 2002. This groundbreaking study sounded alarms regarding increased breast cancer risk in women who took Premarin (estrogen) and Provera (synthetic progesterone).  In addition, they found a higher rate of blood clots, potentially leading to strokes and more, so many women were unprescribed HRT as a result. 

Subsequent analysis determined that the study had major flaws. The average age of the women starting estrogen therapy was 65. We now understand there is a critical window for starting hormone therapy to maximize the benefits and reduce the risks, which is within ten years of one’s menopause, or under 60. 

Second, the estrogen used in the experiment was extracted from pregnant mares’ urine and contained non-human estrogens. Now, most prescriptions written use a bioidentical estrogen called estradiol or E2. It is processed much differently in the body and has fewer risks. The progesterone used was a synthetic cousin of our progesterone called progestin, which comes with many more side effects. Third, the route of administration of estrogen matters. Yes, taking oral pills of estrogen does increase blood clotting, especially in women over 60. However, using a patch or cream on the skin does not do so in any significant way. We’ve come a long way from 2002 to understand how to use these hormones safely. 

According to the esteemed North American Menopause Society, estrogen has strong evidence showing it helps with hot flashes and night sweats. They say it can be used for women of any age in low doses locally for genital and urinary symptoms and to improve sexual function. Systemic estrogen also helps to prevent bone loss and fracture associated with osteoporosis. The research shows this benefit is most relevant if estrogen is started within five years of menopause and the benefit is lost after ceasing the estrogen therapy. Topical estrogen therapy can slightly reduce cardiovascular disease risk but only if started early.  

The most interesting evidence regarding estrogen replacement therapy is around reducing cognitive decline. One in three people develop a significant cognitive decline in their lifetime, and ⅔ of the people with Alzheimer’s are women. Estrogen has many protective effects on the brain, including increasing neuronal growth and repair, increasing neuroplasticity, decreasing the build-up of tau proteins and amyloid plaques (associated with Alzheimer’s), and much more. Estrogen therapy seems to help slow cognitive decline, not reverse it. One study showed that women who started estrogen at 75 years old had a worse rate of decline. So, yes, there is a critical window for starting estrogen. Women who have their ovaries removed or have very early menopause may especially benefit from starting estrogen therapy right away. 

Evidence shows that estrogen may help somewhat with joint pain, muscle weakness, sleep issues, depression, skin aging, dry eyes, hearing loss, and diabetes. But what about breast cancer? Well, after years of analysis of the WHI study, it has been shown that when they started giving horse estrogens and synthetic progestin to women far older than the critical age window in oral vs. transdermal doses, after three years, an increase of less than one case of breast cancer over the placebo rate per 1,000 women per year could be attributed to the hormones. That risk is less than the increased risk of breast cancer associated with drinking two glasses of wine a day, and the same as the risk of being obese or inactive. In women who took only estrogen (women who’d had a hysterectomy), there was a slight decrease in breast cancer rate vs. placebo. Three French studies showed that when bioidentical estrogen is used with women in a better age window and coupled with bioidentical progesterone, there was no increase in breast cancer rates.  

HRT isn’t for everyone, so discuss it with a conventional or naturopathic doctor up to date on the latest research analysis to see if you would be a suitable candidate and what to expect. For people without extended health insurance, compounding pharmacies can make up HRT prescriptions for about ⅓ to ½ the cost of pharmaceutical suppliers—tell your naturopathic or conventional doctor your preference.  Another advantage of compounded bioidentical hormones is various delivery methods can be used depending on the desired effects and preference of the patient. Transdermal absorption of hormones has been well established in scientific research. So the bottom line is that bioidentical estrogen with bioidentical progesterone can have a role to play not only in the management of symptoms of menopause but also in the enhancement of the ageing process.


Eat for Life: Time Restricted Eating

What if there was one simple lifestyle change that could increase your lifespan? Researchers who study the science of longevity and disease prevention have found that there is indeed one simple lifestyle pattern that can decrease the risk of cancer, heart disease, obesity, diabetes and more: don’t eat at night. It turns out that our bodies are designed to process food better during the day, and when we eat at night, we rob our cells and organs of much-needed rest and repair. Studies show that while of course it matters what we eat, it also matters when we eat.

The human body evolved to eat during the daylight hours, when it’s safe to collect and prepare our food, and not to eat in the evening, when it’s dark and dangerous to be outside. Fifteen percent of the human genome works on a body clock, and about 50% of those genes are involved in the metabolism of food. We know the brain has a circadian rhythm, but so do the pancreas, intestines, liver and more.

Now with the advent of electricity and demanding work hours, we typically have our largest meal of the day in the evening and often snack after that. Our meal patterns are not in alignment with how we evolved to eat and can be detrimental to our metabolism and our cellular repair mechanisms. Does it really make sense to consume most of our calories within hours of going to sleep? It’s like showing up to a restaurant at closing time: the cooking staff will not be happy. Eating at night has been shown to raise blood sugar and insulin, increase inflammation, throw off hormones and decrease the important daily cellular clean-out called autophagy. Under these conditions the body can become fertile soil for disease.

As a naturopathic physician I regularly monitor these blood parameters and show people ways to lower their risk factors with lifestyle changes and natural medicines. One of those ways is to just change when you eat. Eating breakfast, lunch and dinner within the daytime hours, before 7 p.m., and allowing at least a 13-hour fast overnight is enough to show benefits. Some experts recommend extending that fasting window further by having a later breakfast and an earlier dinner if you can.

Time restricted eating has even been shown to reduce cancer rates. In one study, of 2,500 breast cancer survivors who tracked their food intake for seven years, a strong association was found to when they were eating. Women who had at least a 13-hour overnight fast had a 40% decrease in breast cancer recurrence and an over 15% decrease in all causes of mortality, regardless of whether they were overweight or not.

Other conditions that have been shown to improve from extended overnight fasting are gastric reflux, fatty liver, cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Weight loss with this mechanism alone is modest, but it can add up over time. In a famous study, two groups of mice were fed the same number of calories, but one group was fed only during the mice’s daytime and the other could graze all day and night. The mice in the Time Restricted Feeding group lost more weight than the other mice. In similar human trials, weight loss is more significant because without even trying, people will consume about 200 fewer calories per day when they stop nighttime snacking.

Time Restricted Eating is a simple lifestyle change that anyone can implement. Your body is designed to thrive in those conditions. Pregnant women and people with blood sugar issues, eating disorders or other health conditions would be wise to consult with their naturopathic physician or family doctor before making any dietary changes.

To book a naturopathic medical consultation with Dr. Deidre Macdonald

Call 250 897-0235

Hope for Parkinson's Disease

Muhammad Ali and Michael J. Fox are famous people who have Parkinson’s disease, and one in 500 people in Canada will join their ranks. Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a degenerative neurological disease that slowly affects the ability to control movement.  Symptoms can include tremors, difficulty walking and speaking.  Early symptoms can include decreased thirst, loss of smell, constipation, anxiety and decreased arm swinging while walking. This condition was thought to be chronic and progressive and could only be managed with medications.  Now, with a deeper understanding of the factors that contribute to nerve cell damage, there are targeted strategies that can slow or even reverse the disease to some degree. Many of these principles are just smart preventative lifestyle strategies for all of us who want to protect our brains from degeneration.



Dr. Laurie Mischley is a naturopathic doctor who works with people with Parkinson’s disease in Seattle.  The average Parkinson’s patient has a symptom score of 500 at the time of diagnosis in a standardized test for Parkinson’s, and their score goes up by 38 points per year on average.  In contrast, Dr. Mischley’s patients have an average 200-300 point decrease in their score over one year of treatment.  Those numbers got my attention when she spoke at a recent brain health conference I attended.



Dr. Mischley is emphatic that Parkinson’s does not have to be a progressive, irreversible disease.  Progression can be slowed and sometimes reversed to a degree if we seek to understand what is stressing the neurons and remove those stresses while supporting optimal brain health with targeted lifestyle strategies and natural medicines.  Dr. Mischley says that by the time PD is diagnosed, the processes that created it have been in the works for twenty years or more.  Science has shown us that risk factors include drinking well water with high manganese or pesticide runoff, head trauma, heavy metal exposure (welders), dairy consumption, pesticide exposure, certain viral or fungal infections, intestinal microbiome imbalances, autoimmune processes, high iron, low B12, smoking, drinking and more.  If we can identify and target these neurological stress factors, we can improve brain health.



Lab tests can help us identify the stress factors associated with Parkinson’s disease.  These include inflammatory markers (CRP), blood sugar work up, iron, vitamin B12, food allergies, heavy metal testing, intestinal testing, brain auto-antibody testing, vitamin D, oxidative stress tests, (low) cholesterol, homocysteine, DHEA-S, thyroid function and more. Naturopathic physicians can order these types of lab tests and provide thorough analysis.



Dietary interventions include eating more plant-based foods, such as fruit, vegetables, nuts and seeds and healthy oils.  Fish and organic chicken are encouraged, while dairy, red meat, flour and sugar are discouraged. Exercise can play an important role in Parkinson’s treatment, and our local recreation centres are providing classes specifically for this condition. Natural medicines are also vital for creating an environment in the brain where the nerves can thrive. Coenzyme Q10 and fish oil are associated with better outcomes in PD.  Glutathione precursors provide protection against oxidative stress in the brain, which is critical for PD.  Targeting heavy metal elimination, autoimmune balancing, gut microbiome restoration, mitochondrial repair, and homocysteine-lowering are the types of individualized treatments on which naturopathic physicians can coach their patients.  Medications that promote dopamine are an important aspect of the management of PD, but knowing that you can also address the causative factors and take charge of the progression of this condition is empowering.

Hope for Parkinson’s Disease

Muhammad Ali and Michael J. Fox are famous people who have Parkinson’s disease, and one in 500 people in Canada will join their ranks. Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a degenerative neurological disease that slowly affects the ability to control movement.  Symptoms can include tremors, difficulty walking and speaking.  Early symptoms can include decreased thirst, loss of smell, constipation, anxiety and decreased arm swinging while walking. This condition was thought to be chronic and progressive and could only be managed with medications.  Now, with a deeper understanding of the factors that contribute to nerve cell damage, there are targeted strategies that can slow or even reverse the disease to some degree. Many of these principles are just smart preventative lifestyle strategies for all of us who want to protect our brains from degeneration.

Dr. Laurie Mischley is a naturopathic doctor who works with people with Parkinson’s disease in Seattle.  The average Parkinson’s patient has a symptom score of 500 at the time of diagnosis in a standardized test for Parkinson’s, and their score goes up by 38 points per year on average.  In contrast, Dr. Mischley’s patients have an average 200-300 point decrease in their score over one year of treatment.  Those numbers got my attention when she spoke at a recent brain health conference I attended.

Dr. Mischley is emphatic that Parkinson’s does not have to be a progressive, irreversible disease.  Progression can be slowed and sometimes reversed to a degree if we seek to understand what is stressing the neurons and remove those stresses while supporting optimal brain health with targeted lifestyle strategies and natural medicines.  Dr. Mischley says that by the time PD is diagnosed, the processes that created it have been in the works for twenty years or more.  Science has shown us that risk factors include drinking well water with high manganese or pesticide runoff, head trauma, heavy metal exposure (welders), dairy consumption, pesticide exposure, certain viral or fungal infections, intestinal microbiome imbalances, autoimmune processes, high iron, low B12, smoking, drinking and more.  If we can identify and target these neurological stress factors, we can improve brain health.

Lab tests can help us identify the stress factors associated with Parkinson’s disease.  These include inflammatory markers (CRP), blood sugar work up, iron, vitamin B12, food allergies, heavy metal testing, intestinal testing, brain auto-antibody testing, vitamin D, oxidative stress tests, (low) cholesterol, homocysteine, DHEA-S, thyroid function and more. Naturopathic physicians can order these types of lab tests and provide thorough analysis.

Dietary interventions include eating more plant-based foods, such as fruit, vegetables, nuts and seeds and healthy oils.  Fish and organic chicken are encouraged, while dairy, red meat, flour and sugar are discouraged. Exercise can play an important role in Parkinson’s treatment, and our local recreation centres are providing classes specifically for this condition. Natural medicines are also vital for creating an environment in the brain where the nerves can thrive. Coenzyme Q10 and fish oil are associated with better outcomes in PD.  Glutathione precursors provide protection against oxidative stress in the brain, which is critical for PD.  Targeting heavy metal elimination, autoimmune balancing, gut microbiome restoration, mitochondrial repair, and homocysteine-lowering are the types of individualized treatments on which naturopathic physicians can coach their patients.  Medications that promote dopamine are an important aspect of the management of PD, but knowing that you can also address the causative factors and take charge of the progression of this condition is empowering.

Healing Concussion and Traumatic Brain Injury

The human brain is a remarkable feat of engineering.  But with the consistency of Jello, it is quite vulnerable to damage from injuries.  Every year about 200,000 Canadians suffer concussions.  Sports injuries and car accidents are two common causes of brain injuries, but for seniors, concussions are more likely to be caused by a fall.  The good news is that the brain can recover from minor concussions within a short time. But for multiple concussions or more traumatic brain injuries, the path to recovery can be long and winding.  Post-concussion syndrome can persist for years without the proper help.  Research is showing that there are many ways to enhance healing of the brain. No matter how long it’s been since the brain injury, it’s never too late to jump-start more repair of those delicate structures of the brain that run our mind and body.

Concussions are difficult to diagnose with imagine like an MRI or CT scan, and the symptoms of post-concussion syndrome can be easily attributed to other things.  I often ask my patients about concussions and sometimes find that they do indeed have symptoms of post-concussion syndrome such as:  fatigue, memory loss, cognitive issues, headache, depression, anxiety, irritability, sleep issues, sensitivity to light or sound, issues with sight or hearing, nausea, dizziness and more.

The best approach after a brain injury is to minimize the damage and promote brain healing as soon as possible.  To do that, we have to understand how the brain cells actually get damaged with brain injury.  Then we can use treatments that target those processes. Most medical professionals are not versed in strategies to address what’s really going on in concussion and brain injury, and so these processes are left to damage the brain especially in the critical first few days after concussion.  We need to institute neuroprotection strategies that promote healing, and it’s never too late to start.

Neural inflammation is a significant cause of loss of brain cells, and the connections between them, after head injury.  There are a number of natural products that help to regulate neural inflammation such as curcumin, the DHA portion of fish oil, and green tea. Aerobic exercise also has tremendous benefits to the brain.

We also want to decrease oxidative stress on the brain cells by ingesting higher amounts of anti-oxidant rich foods and medicines.  Berries are rich in antioxidants and Vitamins C and E can be helpful too.

The blood brain barrier (BBB) is intended to only allow certain things to enter the brain from the blood, but after brain injury, there can be a breach in this filtering system.  Toxins then can enter the brain and cause more damage.  Alpha lipoic acid is excellent for healing the BBB and is also an antioxidant.

Mitochondria are the furnaces of the cells, producing needed energy.  The brain cells are particularly dependent on mitochondria for energy. Brain injury can damage the mitochondria and especially lead to brain fog and fatigue.  To heal from brain injury, we need to ramp up the mitochondrial function by taking supplements such as coenzyme Q10, B vitamins as well as eating whole foods and exercising.

We want to stimulate that parts of the brain that can regenerate by enhancing neural stem cells. Humble nutrients like Vitamin D and melatonin can help accomplish these goals.

Promote the lymphatic drainage in the brain called glymphatics. Like a Zamboni clearing the effects of ice skating on an ice rink, the glymphatics of the brain clear away the normal waste products that build up in the brain daily.  This is even more important post brain injury. Sleep is the time when these mechanisms ramp up the most, so I help my concussion patients enhance their sleep.
The nerves of the brain are intimately linked to the chemistry of the digestive system.  Chemicals produced by the gut bugs, or intestinal microbiome, travel to the brain and influence mood, thinking and more.  Having a healthy digestive system will help brain function and naturopathic physicians are an excellent resource for tools to enhance gut health.

Other treatments for concussion are also getting much needed attention.

Brain training can help make new connections in the brain.

The ketogenic diet, while somewhat arduous, has been shown to help a number of brain diseases, including post-concussion syndrome.

Neurofeedback is a sort of visual gym for learning to retrain and re-pattern disrupted brain activity (and is available in Comox).

Functional Neurology practitioners can help target the part of the brain that is malfunctioning and provide specific stimulation to heal those parts.

Cold laser therapy to the skull has demonstrated benefits to many patients at a Toronto clinic and human clinical trials are underway.  This painless treatment has been shown in animal studies to enhance brain healing after traumatic brain injury.  I have treated over 1000 people for various health issues with laser therapy as it helps to gently but quickly regenerate damaged tissue throughout the body.

Reducing electromagnetic fields that may not affect people with healthy brains, but may be one more stress on an injured brain. Turning off wireless at night and removing cordless phones from the bedroom are a good way to start.

There is hope.  No matter how far out from a brain injury, there is always reason for hope.  With the right treatment, people can improve significantly even years after a brain injury if they are willing to invest in their brain health.

To learn more about how this type of multifaceted approach might be able to help you, contact naturopathic physician Dr. Deidre Macdonald, ND at 250 897-0235 or via getwellhere.com

To learn more about how this type of multifaceted approach might be able to help you, contact naturopathic physician Dr. Deidre Macdonald, ND at 250 897-0235 or via getwellhere.com

Call 250 897-0235